The present invention pertains to optical systems, and in one embodiment, to laser beam positioning and pointing
In many applications, it is desirable to direct a laser beam over a very large field of regard, and once having reached some designated angle within the field of regard, to generate a small scan or raster pattern for the purpose of finding a target of interest. Laser beam pointing and positioning has been conventionally accomplished with either pointing mirrors, scan wheels, counter rotating wedges and/or various two-axis gimbal arrangements. These conventional mechanisms are mechanically complex, costly, require significant power for operation and are large in size. The mechanical complexity of these conventional mechanisms also makes them less reliable. Furthermore, many of these conventional laser beam pointing and positioning mechanisms are limited either in the range of angles that can be covered or in the amount of time needed to reach a designated position in the field. In the case of gimbals, for example, the gimbal set is typically displaced from a vehicle""s surface requiring a very large sensor window. Furthermore, prism apex angles and prism thickness can become very large for large steering angles.
Thus there is general need for improved laser beam pointing and laser beam positioning methods and systems. There is also a need for a system and method suitable for steering a laser beam over large angles in two-dimensions. There is also a need for a laser beam pointing and positioning system and method that is less complex. There is also a need for a laser beam pointing and positioning system and method that requires less hardware. There is also a need for a laser beam pointing and positioning system and method that is less costly. There is also a need for a laser beam pointing and positioning system and method that requires less power for operation. There is also a need for a laser beam pointing and positioning system and method that is more reliable. There is also a need for a laser beam pointing and positioning system and method that is smaller in size.